1.
Communion and the Oracle. No contest. Absence is a good song, but Communion is my favourite SX song, along with Divine and Odyssey. It immediately got me, which not all songs on V did (in the first place, that is).
Even though the whole song is great, I think the intro and the outro are the standouts. The intro is always so relaxing listening to; the clean guitar arpeggio playing 4 measures, then this lovely bright-sounding keyboard line comes in, along with the drums, followed by bass and then Romeo playing these somewhat trademark staccato chords.
The “breathe the air around you” – part is also worth mentioning. I love how it just “flows”, and what’s so cool about it is that each instrument play their own part, there’s no “doubling” at any sort. Love it.
When it comes to the outro…. It’s honestly the best thing I’ve heard in my entire life. I have listened to Communion more than any other SX song, and I’ve never ever skipped the outro (or other parts of the song). It is a real showcase of greatness from the polyrhytmic masters. I LOVE the (again) bright-sounding melody line that Pinnella plays over the guitar arpeggio, it could have gone on forever and I still wouldn’t be tired of it.
Also, the whole band just kick major ass; I have got myself thinking many times how awesome Rullo plays that part, and the bass is great as well, simple but just what it needs to be.
The choir and bells gives it a rather haunting ending, and I think it’s cool that they do a modulation right at the end; after staying in the same key (E minor) for a minute and a half (which must be a new record
), they go up to G sharp, nicely building it up to Bird-Serpent War. Man, I remember Detective made a thread about SX being the masters of odd time signatures, modulations, and polyrhythms, and Communion is a perfect example of that.
2.
Eyes of Medusa. A cool, groovy song with a decent chorus.
3.
Lady of the Snow. Not a big fan of Electric Messiah. Lady is decent, though not in the same class Church or Looking Glass from the same album.
4.
A Winter’s Dream Pt.II. I love Pt.I, and the sequel is good as well. The intro reminds a bit of Spock’s Beard. I especially like the pre-chorus and the chorus.
